News Story

EVE Online is going free in November

EVE Online, otherwise known as that insane game whose massive space battles, corporate espionage, and thriving in-game economy you hear about every six months, is about to go free-to-play. It’s a big step for a game that relies so heavily on the balance of its economy, and that means some big new features are on the way to help the transition make sense.

The biggest of those is Clone States. Alpha clones will be the base state for new, free players, able to learn a specific set of skills needed to fly the most frequently used ships in battle. These players will also have access to the trading, industry, and exploration skills necessary to see the vast breadth of the universe.

Omega clones are precisely the same as EVE characters have been up to this point, able to learn the same skills at the same rates. Players who maintain their subscription will find that their characters remain in the Omega state. Letting the subscription lapse will revert you to Alpha state, with the previously available skills still available whenever you decide to resubscribe.

The big update containing the free-to-play switch will launch in November 2016. That update will also contain player-built structures called Industrial Arrays, a new ship, and various tactical adjustments.

Popular streams

Game Activity

Hammerjinx

lol, so on top of having a very limited selection of skills to choose from, you also can't queue any training past 24 hours. Not a huge problem but it means you have to keep logging in to book more training and god forbid you take a week off

Hammerjinx

That won't be of any use to F2Pers under the proposed rules. You can't train the skills, you can't use the skills if you previously trained them during a paid period. If you bought that you could pay for a month, grab up a bunch of skills, pilot whatever ships that allows, but as soon as you stop paying you're a pleb again.
Paying players who are on hiatus may be able to use the downtime to pick up a couple of skills they skipped and prolly won't need, and will be able to dabble in the market, but won't be able to do much of anything real. They can manufacture stuff, but nothing really tops, and they lack any serious way of transporting their goods to different markets. They can mine, but only in the most trivial sense. They can fight, but not against a real threat. They can do missions, but pretty much only L1 combat missions, L2 if they're plucky.
It's like going to a smorgasbord but only getting to take the bad cuts, overcooked vegies, and dry wilting salad, and being given a small saucer instead of a dinner plate. Say what you like about the quality of the feast in general, that sub-experience is only going to attract the most undiscerning and starved clientele.